


Better With You

by The_Forgotten_Nobody



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020) RPF
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, spoilers for 2x08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30085977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Forgotten_Nobody/pseuds/The_Forgotten_Nobody
Summary: So...TK may not have been entirely truthful when he said he’d be out all night. Turns out it’s one thing to be shot by a scared kid, and another to have a gun intentionally pointed at not only you, but your teammates. Your family.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 6
Kudos: 114





	Better With You

**Author's Note:**

> So...I binge watched S1 of lone star over christmas, have been obsessed with 911 since it came out on Disney+, but it was this episode that finally got me writing for the fandom.

“Babe, seriously, I’m okay. Go home, get some sleep and I’ll be right here in the morning,” TK says, squeezing Carlos’ hand. His parents had left an hour or so ago, needing to get the final few bits of his mom’s stuff packed, but Carlos had refused to leave with them. TK knows that if he said nothing, Carlos would willingly spend the whole night in that uncomfy looking chair. 

Carlos sighs heavily and drops a kiss to TK’s hand. He lifts his head and looks at TK with the same sad eyes he’s been wearing all night. 

“You’ll call if you need anything,” Carlos checks and TK almost nods, before thinking better of it at the last second. 

“I’ll have nurses checking on me every hour,” TK reminds him. “Plus, I’m pretty sure I’ll be out like a light the rest of the night. A hostage situation kind of takes it out of you.” 

While Carlos may not smile at TK’s lame attempt at a joke, he does roll his eyes and shift closer so that he can plant a proper kiss on TK’s lips. 

“I’ll see you in the morning, first thing,” Carlos promises. 

“Can’t wait,” TK smiles. 

For a brief moment, they just stare at each other and TK knows the words that should fill this kind of silence. He feels them claw against his throat, desperate to get free. Just three words, but they’re three words that have the potential to change everything. 

TK swallows. Last time he said he loved someone, he got his heart broken so badly he didn’t think it would be possible to repair it. As much as TK trusts Carlos not to act like that asshole, as much as he wants to verbalise to Carlos what he means to him, he just can’t get them out. 

Hell, on the very day he’s been sober for one year, he gets injured and offered painkillers. The world’s clearly out to mock him. 

The moment passes with neither of them saying a word and Carlos offers TK one last small smile before he grabs his stuff and heads out the door. TK watches him go, then turns his gaze to the sterile white ceiling. 

So...TK may not have been entirely truthful when he said he’d be out all night. Turns out it’s one thing to be shot by a scared kid, and another to have a gun intentionally pointed at not only you, but your teammates. Your family. 

With his parents, Carlos, it’s easy to joke and pretend that everything’s fine. To focus on his mom going back to New York instead of the lingering taste of acrid fear on the back of his throat. He can’t get over how lucky they are, that the worst was just TK’s concussion. There’d been so many moments, so many opportunities for it all to go wrong. 

Carlos could’ve taken the man in his car and the bomb could’ve gone off. He could’ve woken up to find both his friends dead. 

TK groans at the intrusive thoughts and shuts his eyes tight, praying for sleep to claim him instantly. It’s no luck though, the moment he closes them, he sees the barrel of those guns. The shake in the hands holding them. Nervous. Unpredictable. All it would’ve taken is a single slip of the finger and a bullet could’ve got one of them. 

And the worst part of it is they wouldn’t have been allowed to help. They’d have been forced to watch. 

Eventually, TK hangs on the edge of consciousness but in that in-between state, memories merge with fear and he sees Captain Vega, a bullet through her forehead because she’d outlived her usefulness. The sight of fresh, vibrant blood but frozen, unseeing eyes jerks TK awake and he hisses at the sting it provokes. 

Resigned that there’s no way he’s getting any sleep, TK starts using the pain as motivation to keep awake. They’re all going to have mandatory counselling sessions because of this. Might as well make it worth the doc’s while.

Half an hour or so later, Rachel, his nurse, appears and TK feigns waking up so she doesn’t ask any awkward questions. They know about his history, but he doesn’t want to risk them offering something that becomes too tempting to refuse. When she’s gone, he goes back to counting the tiles on the ceiling. 

The selfish part of him wishes he hadn’t sent Carlos away. The whole time they’d been held hostage, he’d kept hold of the hope that Carlos would find him. He’d thought it stupid, that no one would find the coin he left, or knew what it meant, but clearly, his gut knew more than his brain. Carlos, he's...steady. He puts up with all of TK’s bullshit. Stays when he gets too into his own head, too focused on his own problems to see what's right in front of him. He holds TK on his bad days, and lets TK hold him on his. 

He makes TK feel wanted, important.

He makes TK feel loved. 

There’s a slight burning in the corner of TK’s eyes and he blinks them away. He did the right thing, letting Carlos get some proper sleep. Especially after how he treated Nancy, he wants to be less self-absorbed and if this is what it means, he’ll deal with it. Anyway, Carlos had clearly been exhausted. TK may not have heard the entire story yet, but he knew enough. He knew that not only had Carlos been dealing with an investigation but his dad had come into the picture too. That even though his dad had expressed wanting to meet TK, Carlos had shut off when TK tried to ask more about it. As familiar as TK is with dysfunctional family relationships, he decided not to push. 

Bored with the ceiling, TK turns his gaze to the windows and the glistening lights of the city outside. He’s gotta admit, staying in hospital might suck but his room has got a pretty sweet view. 

TK’s watching the blinking lights of a plane when something catches the corner of his eyes. Someone’s heading towards his room, but in the dim lights, he can’t see who it is. TK tenses and his heart monitor jumps. He forces his breathing to remain even so that he can pretend to be asleep. They wouldn’t have brought that psychopath to the same hospital, would they? Or did the woman get away? They couldn’t have been that careless, could they…?

TK searches for anything he can use to defend himself but there’s nothing. As a last resort, he hunches over slightly, closing his eyes until they’re little more than slits. At least he’s got the element of surprise. That’ll have to do. 

The figure opens his door and TK tries to tell who it is from the reflection but with the darkness and his impeded view, he can’t get more except that their male. Another friend? Or-

Ignoring the stab of pain at the sudden movement, TK twists and grabs the wrist that had been coming towards him. Only the sight of brown, stunned eyes stops him from twisting it. 

“Carlos?”

“TK?” 

“Shit, I...sorry.” TK feels breathless, weak as the adrenaline drains out of him. He lets go of Carlos’ wrist, guilt gnawing at his chest. “What are you doing here?” 

“I...couldn’t sleep,” Carlos admits. “TK, you okay?” 

TK looks at Carlos’ wrist, which his boyfriend had unconsciously been rubbing. “Yeah, I-it’s dumb. I’m sorry. You just startled me.” He leans back into the bed, trying to lighten the mood by saying, “So, you thought you’d get more sleep here? In a hospital room with a nurse coming to check on me every hour?” 

“I dunno,” Carlos shrugs, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a cautious hand on TK’s leg. “But I know I feel better being here than lying in an empty bed. I know you’re okay but...it’s good to see it.” 

Well, if that doesn’t make TK’s heart swell so much he thinks his ribs might break. “You sap,” he teases lightly, that burning sensation appearing again. 

Carlos shrugs again, a small smile playing at his lips. “You love it.” 

“...I do.” Because that’s not the same as saying  _ it _ , is it? “How’d you get the nurses to let you back in at this time anyway?” 

“Honestly? I think they took pity on me. Plus I, uh, might have shown my badge. Didn’t give a reason for it...but it helped.” 

“Sappy and sneaky. I approve,” TK says with a grin. “Well, if you’re serious about not going anywhere...might be a bit cramped but I’m sure we can both squeeze on here.” 

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Carlos says seriously. “I can stay in the chair. I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, well I do mind,” TK says, or rather, snaps, which was not intended. “Sorry, I just...I think I’d do better with you closer.” 

Carlos softens and he moves his hand up so that he can hold TK’s again. “Can’t fall asleep?” 

It’s more a statement than a question, and there’s just something about that feeling of being  _ seen _ . Of someone knowing you so well. It makes TK feel vulnerable, makes him want to lash out because it’s too much, but it also makes him feel warm inside, secure. Sometimes, Carlos can see TK clearer than he can see himself. 

“No,” TK sighs, because there’s no point lying. “When I shut my eyes, I see those guns. Not pointed at me, but at Captain Vega, Nancy. Shit, things were so close to going bad.” 

There’s a quiet, quick intake of breath and Carlos bows his head. “TK, I’m so sorry.” 

“Sorry?” TK repeats. “For what?” 

“For letting you get into that situation! If I’d handled that guy better, if I’d realised sooner what was going on, they’d never have been able to take you.” 

“Babe.” TK sits up against the pillow and shifts to the side, a clear invitation that Carlos thankfully accepts. He kicks off his shoes and leans against TK’s chest so that TK can scratch his fingers lightly against his scalp. “You know I don’t blame you for anything, right? You did everything you could and it's thanks to you we all made it out.”

“You’re the one who left the coin behind,” Carlos mumbles against his gown. 

“Yeah, that was pretty smart of me,” TK concedes and Carlos snorts. “But seriously, you and my dad saved us. Don’t go blaming yourself for stuff you didn’t do.”

Carlos sighs heavily against his chest. “I just don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. I thought becoming a paramedic would mean you were safer.”

“In this line of work, there’s no guarantee of tomorrow,” TK says honestly, throat drying up as he registers the truthfulness of his words. “But that just means we’ve gotta make today count.” 

TK’s blood roars in his ears. He wonders if Carlos can feel the jackrabbit pound of his heart. 

_ Say it. Say it. Say it.  _

With every beat, the words repeat themselves and the ache in his throat grows. The world could go to shit the moment he says them...but then, it could go to shit and he might have never said them. Which is worse? 

“Carlos…”

“TK,” Carlos interrupts. He lifts his head up so that TK can look at him in the eyes. They shine in the reflection of the city lights. “Listen, I don’t know if it’s...if it’s what you want to hear. If you’re ready for it. But, damn it, I love you. You don’t have to feel it, or say it back, or anything just...just know it. I love you Tyler Kennedy.” He doesn’t move closer, he lets TK digest the words and suddenly, the blockage in his throat loosens.

Carlos loves him. 

“I...I love you too,” TK replies, his lips perking up involuntarily. 

He’ll be honest, the doubtful look on Carlos’ face stings a little. “You’re not just saying that, are you? Because it’s okay, you don’t need to say it if you’re not ready, I-” 

“No!” TK interrupts. “No, I’m not. Carlos...if I’m honest. I’ve been feeling it a while now. I’ve just been scared, scared that something would go wrong the moment I said it. Scared that the universe would have one last trick to play.” 

“I’m not your douchebag ex,” Carlos says vehemently and TK strokes a soothing hand against his back. 

“I know, I know you’re not. It’s just...you know it messed me up. Big time. But what I said earlier...something could’ve gone down. It could’ve been you, if you’d taken in that guy with the bomb. It could’ve been me in the restaurant. And I don’t want anything to happen without you knowing just how I feel about you.” 

Carlos stares at him, intense, before surging forward to kiss him. His lips are hard against TK’s, and it’s messy, and desperate, and it doesn’t do his head any favours, but TK doesn’t care. He grabs fistfuls of Carlos’ jumper and lifts it so he can run his palms against the smooth, warm skin hiding beneath it. Carlos’ own hands, in contrast to the bruising kiss, crandle TK’s face tenderly. Like he’s something precious, worth cherishing. 

“We, we should stop now,” Carlos says, breathless as he pulls away. 

“Why?” TK asks, the question little more than a gasp. He can’t stop the grin from tugging at his cheeks, the flush he feels against his skin because he loves Carlos and Carlos loves him and the world hasn’t ended just yet. 

“Because otherwise, I’m not gonna be able to later,” Carlos admits, rubbing his nose lightly against TK’s. “And I don’t wanna risk hurting you...or have a nurse come in on us.” 

“God I hate it when you’re right,” TK says. 

“But soon,” Carlos promises, moving so that his mouth is right against TK’s ear. The words are low and rough. “When you’re better. We’ll do this right.”   


A shiver runs through TK’s body, but the moment is immediately ruined by the loud, jaw cracking yawn he lets out. Carlos bursts out laughing and TK joins in. 

“Think you’ll be able to sleep now?” Carlos asks, adjusting it so that they’re lying side by side. Their heads resting separately on the pillow, but their bodies intertwined. 

"I think I’ve got a better chance now. You?” 

Carlos strokes TK’s side lightly. “Yeah, I think I’ll be alright.”

“Good,” TK leans in just enough to give Carlos one final soft kiss. “Well, no matter what, I’ll be seeing you in about 30 minutes or so when Rachel comes back in.”

Carlos huffs a laugh. “30 minutes more I would’ve got without you. Night, TK.” Almost shyly, he adds, “I love you.” 

His head might hurt like a bitch, he might have phantom memories of guns, a residuel fear for his family but in that moment, it’s drowned out by all the pure, wonderful emotion TK feels for the man in front of him. 

“I love you too, Carlos.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be some general H/C and then it turned into both of them confessing their love. 
> 
> Leave a kudos if you liked this! I think I could be tempted to write more for this fandom, or some Eddie/Buck stuff because oh boy, both of these series leave me with a lot of feels.


End file.
